Terrorism

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 31, 2015

American Psychological Association is expected to recommend stringent ethics policy that prohibits psychologists from taking part in national security interrogations; recommendation, response to report revealing role of psychologists in interrogation and torture of suspects during Bush administration, has potential to hinder even non-coercive investigations being carried out under Obama. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Arafat M Nagi of Lackawanna, NY, is latest American citizen to be arrested for attempting to join Islamic State terrorist group; FBI agents were alerted to Nagi by cooperating witness previously convicted on terrorism charge but lawyer says defendant has done nothing inherently illegal. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

Harlem Suarez of Key West, Fla, is arrested on terrorism charges; FBI agents say Suarez was planning to bomb public beach to show his support for Islamic State. MORE

Jul. 28, 2015

Federal Bureau of Investigation is altering its strategy in combating domestic terrorism inspired by Islamic State amid fears about attacks on American soil; is quickly apprehending people suspected of having ties to terrorism rather than sitting back and gathering evidence. MORE

Jul. 26, 2015

Severe restrictions Great Britain has placed on what reporters may reveal about acquittal of terrorism suspect Erol Incedal spotlight nation's growing debate over balance between free speech and national security in era of terrorism; case has prompted accusations that government is avoiding accountability by cloaking its actions in security classifications. MORE

Jul. 26, 2015

Tunisia's Parliament votes overwhelmingly in favor of antiterrorism law, fast-tracking its passage after terrorism attacks in March and June that killed total of 59 tourists; some have expressed concern that legislation may harm human rights efforts that have only begun taking root in country. MORE

Jul. 24, 2015

Fifteen-year-old British boy pleads guilty to inciting terrorist attack in Australia in 2014; his sentencing is set for Sept 3. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

British man Junead Ahmed Khan faces terrorism charges in London for allegedly plotting to run over American serviceman and kill him in knife attack. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

Investigators have fleshed out portrait of Mohammod Abdulazeez, who killed five service members in attack on Chattanooga, Tenn, military facility, finding evidence he researched martyrdom and suicide on Internet; investigators believe that Abdulazeez's uncle played key role in his radicalization during time spent in Jordan, but no evidence has been found that he was given orders by any terrorist group. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

FBI investigation into Mohammod Abdulazeez, gunman in Chattanooga, Tenn, attacks that killed four Marines, fatally wounded one and injured two others, reveals deeply troubled young man struggling with mental illness and drug addiction who was critical of United States policies in Middle East; authorities examining his computer also find that he viewed material connected to radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

British Prime Min David Cameron calls on Muslim community to help defeat Islamic extremism in country; speaks broadly of five-year counterterrorism strategy that is to be unveiled later in year. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

Jul. 18, 2015

Gunnery Sgt Thomas Sullivan and Lance Cpl Squire Wells, two of four Marines killed in shooting at Chattanooga, Tenn, recruitment center, are mourned by family who understood dangers of deployment but never thought men would be killed at home. MORE

Jul. 18, 2015

Federal agents investigate background and activities of Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez searching for motive for shooting rampage at military sites in Chattanooga, Tenn; focus on seven-month trip he made to Jordan in hopes of discovering whether he had contact with or was inspired by Islamist extremists; seize his computer, cellphone and other electronics for forensic analysis. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

Kuwaiti-born gunman Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez opens fire on military recruiting station in Chattanooga, Tenn, then goes to second military site where he kills four Uniited States Marines before being shot to death; federal domestic terrorism investigation is launched, but Federal Bureau of Investigation officials report no known direct ties between Abdulazeez and international terrorist organizations. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

French officials have detained three men accused of planning a terrorist attack on an unidentified military base. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

Neighbors of Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez, suspect in killing of four Marines and wounding of at least three other people in Chattanooga, Tenn, in act described as domestic terrorism, say he never showed signs of Islamic extremism. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Editorial warns new counterterrorism law being sought by Egyptian authorities would worsen already oppressive police state and embolden extremists by depriving citizens of legitimate avenues to express grievances; criticizes American officials for ignoring Egypt's rights violations and failing to demand human rights protections in exchange for foreign aid; argues that in releasing Egypt from such requirements America has become complicit in Egypt's repression. MORE

Jul. 15, 2015

Police in Shenyang, China, say they shot and killed three men who they said belonged to terrorist group; Uighur representatives are questioning official account. MORE

Jul. 14, 2015

Alexander Ciccolo, son of a Boston police captain, is arrested in western Massachusetts for allegedly plotting series of deadly attacks with guns and bombs, including homemade model base on the ones ones used in 2013 Boston Marathon bombings; Ciccolo has reportedly expressed desire to fight for Islamic State. MORE

Jul. 12, 2015

Partner Vetting System, new screening project run by United States Agency for International Development designed to detect terrorists in foreign aid non-profit organizations, is criticized by aid groups that say vetting is intrusive and undermines their mission. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

Investigation requested by board of American Psychological Assn finds Central Intelligence Agency's health experts repeatedly denounced agency's post-Sept 11 interrogation program, which included torture, but objections were rejected by important outside psychologists who gave program credibility; investigators' report concludes some of top American Psychological Association officials tried to curry favor with Pentagon officials. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

French court sentences Mohamed Achamlane to nine years in prison for his work in heading up dismantled radical Islamic Forsane Alizza group, which had plotted attacks on kosher markets and other Jewish business in Paris; Achamlane was also accused of abducting and torturing Jewish judge in Lyon; other members of group are sentenced to up to six years in prison. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

Great Britain’s government tells all British travelers to leave Tunisia because other terrorist attacks there are eminent; comes amid Tunisian investigation finding that militants have targeted Western tourists in attacks in Sousse and Tunis. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

James B Comey, Federal Bureau of Investigation director, announces that authorities thwarted multiple plots by Islamic State operatives for Independence Day attacks in United States; says people arrested were recruited by ISIS online and that encrypted communications have made plotters more difficult to trace. MORE

Jul. 9, 2015

Ethiopian prosecutors unexpectedly drop terrorism charges against 5 of 10 defendants on trial in high-profile court case; human rights groups assert that defendants, seven bloggers and three journalists, were singled out for criticizing government. MORE

Jul. 9, 2015

Minneapolis and other cities with large Somali immigrant populations are grappling with issue of how to keep young men from being recruited by militant Islamist groups; issue has received intensified focus following arrest of Hamza Ahmed, Zacharia Abdurahman and Hanad Musse on charges of conspiring to travel to Syria to fight for Islamic State; Somali community leaders are seeking pretrial release of men, arguing engagement with communities and families is best means of deradicalization. MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

Ten-year anniversary of suicide bomber attacks on London's transit system that killed 52 civilians draws warnings from British officials that terrorism threat has only increased, particularly with rise of Islamic State. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Tunisian Pres Beji Caid Essebsi declares state of emergency following terrorist attack at Imperial Marhaba Hotel in town of Sousse that killed over 30 tourists. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

Gill Hicks, one of survivors of terrorist attack in London on July 7, 2005, runs organization Making a Difference, which seeks to combat extremism and promote peace-building by using empathy to defeat terrorist organizations; has signed up for number of physical challenges to commemorate attack's anniversary, all meant to to bring Muslims and non-Muslims closer together. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

Europol announces formation of new unit to identify and dismantle social media accounts associated with Islamic extremists; goal, which has unilateral support in Europe, is to reduce ability of ISIS and other groups to recruit and spread propaganda around world. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

Series of bombings targeting Hamas in Gaza Strip, including four attacks in May, have been attributed to extremist Islamist groups that vow loyalty to Islamic State and are attempting to challenge Hamas's power in region; groups, known as salafi-jihadis, have been energized by ISIS victories in Iraq and Syria; latest clashes are sign of their growing power. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

Tunisian officials reveal that Seifeddine Rezgui, gunman who killed 38 foreign tourists at beachside hotel, had trained with extremist group in Libya earlier in 2015; note that Chelli's training coincided with that of two gunmen who later killed 22 people in March at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

Egyptian Pres Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, responding to bombing attack that killed prosecutor Hisham Barakat, vows to introduce new laws speeding terrorism trials and sentences; move elicits worry from legal experts and human rights advocates, who are particularly concerned about large number who face capital sentences. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

British Prime Min David Cameron vows 'full spectrum' response to terrorist attack that left 39 tourists, at least 18 of them British, dead at beach resort in Sousse, Tunisia; does not specify security measures to be taken at home or abroad but sends hundreds of police officers and forensic experts to help Tunisian authorities. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi sentences Ala'a Badr Abdullah al-Hashemi to death for killing American Ibolya Ryan in December 2014; police said Hashemi, Muslim who was radicalized over Internet, was searching for foreigner to kill at random. MORE

Jun. 29, 2015

French officials report that Lyon resident Yassine Salhi sent picture of himself with severed head of his boss Herve Cornara to Canadian telephone number, raising worries that jihadists are operating in Canada; it is unclear whether Salhi, who is accused of beheading Cornara and then driving delivery truck into Air Products hangar so it would explode, had terrorist motive or was unstable. MORE

Jun. 29, 2015

Relatives, neighbors and friends of Seifeddine Rezgui, Tunisian student suspected of shooting 39 tourists at Imperial Marhaba hotel in Sousse, Tunisia, recall signs Rezgui was becoming more radicalized; attribute his change to people he met while attending college in Kairouan, town known as base for outlawed extremist Salafist movement called Ansar al-Shariah. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Funeral procession for 27 victims of suicide bombing at Shiite mosque in Kuwait draws thousands, both Sunnis and Shiites, jolted by first terrorist attack in the small, wealthy nation; Islamic State has taken responsibility for attack, which took place during mosque's Friday Prayer session. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Tourists on beach in Sousse, Tunisia, recall silent, nearly businesslike behavior of gunman Seifeddine Rezgui as he carried out Tunisia's worst terrorist attack in living memory; Rezqui killed 39 people and wounded 38 others as he pursued sunbathers into the Imperial Marhaba Hotel before being shot and killed by police; witnesses say Rezgui's few words made it clear his targets were tourists. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Yassine Salhi, identified by French authorities as man who decapitated his boss before setting off explosion at American-owned chemical plant in Lyon, had joined group of radical Islamists and was on national list of potential security threats in 2006; apparent removal of his name from active watch list by 2008 underscores complexity of maintaining vigilance as number of identified potential terrorists continues to grow. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

Three terror attacks, perpetrated on three continents within three hours, seem to be linked only by purpose of causing substantial numbers of civilian deaths and timing of attacks, which some say indicate level of coordination; Islamic State is claiming responsibility for attacks on tourist beach in Tunisia and at mosque in Kuwait, while assailant behind assault on American-owned chemical plant in France remains unclear. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

French officials identify Yassine Salhi as deliveryman who allegedly drove truck into chemical plant near Lyon, set off explosion and severed and mounted head of his boss on plant's gate; say Salhi has links to fundamentalist Islamic groups and was under surveillance until 2008. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

New America research center has released report on number of terrorist attacks carried out in United States since September 11, 2001, finding that nearly twice as many people have been killed by non-Muslim extremists, like white supremacists and antigovernment militants, than by radical Muslims; survey of 382 police and sheriff's departments across country shows 74 percent of police officials listing antigovernment violence as one of biggest domestic threats. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

Pres Obama changes policy regarding Americans kidnapped abroad, signing presidential directive and executive order declaring for first time that government, families or other entities can negotiate with hostage takers toward benefit of getting them returned; order, which allows other concessions in response to criticism by families of American hostages, stops short of reversing long-standing edict against paying ransoms to terrorist groups. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

Pres Obama plans to announce executive order that will cease government threats of criminal prosecution against families of American hostages, held by groups like Islamic State, if they attempt to pay ransom for release of their relatives. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Charles M Blow Op-Ed column observes insidious reluctance on the part of some conservatives to call massacre in Charleston, SC, a hate crime; cites overwhelming evidence that Dylann Storm Roof was a white supremacist who explicitly stated his desire to murder blacks and initiate race war; argues Roof's crime was not only inspired by hate, but also qualifies as terrorism. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Civil rights activists question why massacre of nine African-Americans in Charleston, SC, has been classified as possible hate crime rather than as an act of terrorism; advocates point to hypocrisy in how attack has been handled in comparison to crimes by Muslim extremists, citing Boston Marathon bombing and attack on anti-Islamic gathering in Garland, Tex. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

Editorial praises federal appeals court decision reversing domestic terrorism conviction of Ali al-Bahlul by military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; observes court found tribunals lack Constitutional power to prosecute cases outside of war crimes, amounting to major rebuke; argues federal courts are far more capable of prosecuting such crimes than tribunals, and that remainder of inmates at Guantanamo Bay should now be tried in civilian courts. MORE

A 542-page report concludes that prominent psychologists worked closely with the C.I.A. to blunt dissent inside the agency over an interrogation program that is now known to have included torture. It also finds that officials at the American Psychological Association colluded with the Pentagon to make sure the association’s ethics policies did not hinder the ability of psychologists to be involved in the interrogation program.